There are a few things I feel I need to say regarding the scans that I share on this journal.

Up until now all my posts have been public and open with no restrictions or rules.

However, I have been thinking that I should explain more about what my feelings and expectations are on sharing.

I have no plans to:

friends lock my posts

friends lock my journal

stop scanning

stop buying magazines and photos

make a big list of rules

demand credit

demand comment

ask that my scans not be used for graphics

demand that my scans not be reposted

I have no plans to stop sharing freely.

But there are a few things I need to address.

What does upset me is when people demand credit for graphics they are sharing but don't give links, information or credit to where the original images that they used can be found. If crediting is important to you, then it should be as important to give it as well as receive it. There's no reason that everyone shouldn't be able to find the original scans for the images used, especially if they are not locked away.

I also know my scans are being reposted all over the net, in many fandoms and languages. This is great and spreading the NEWS love but it is frustrating and disappointing when these same images are reposted back to this fandom where they have already been shared, with a claim for credit by the reposter. In some cases the original names for the images are still in the file names, as well as other embedded information.

Then there are those who put their own watermarks on the scans before reposting them on their own blogs. I believe that most watermarks are simply defacing the picture, and since none of us are the owner of the original image, we don't actually have that right. If you don't want people seeing what the whole image looks like, then don't post them, especially when you've just taken them from someone else's journal. If you don't want to share them intact, just point others where they can find them.

Basically, it all comes back to the issue of claiming credit for yourself on the back of work done by others. Again, I'm not asking or demanding credit, but I also do not want to see others taking credit for my work either.

And there is a certain amount of time and effort that goes into scanning and editing images.

Just a few examples of some recent scans posted here ... a few 'Before' and 'After' images.

So you can see that generally, it's pretty easy for me, and others, to pick which are my scans.

As I said above, this post is not about me changing anything that I'm currently doing, it's just about sharing my thoughts about sharing. I want the gorgeous pictures of the lovely NEWS members spread far and wide, without ugly watermarks, and without boomeranging back to me with someone else's name on them.

Thanks for reading and letting me get a few things off my chest.

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**UPDATE** Dec 1 2009

Just as an example of what I've been talking about above ... below is an image posted by a user on a forum for my scans of the Yamapi solo concert pamphlet which I posted less than a handful of days ago.

As you might be able to see, not only are these my scans but this person hasn't even attempted to change the names of the pictures, only stopping long enough to make a contact sheet and add their own credit to it.